In case you needed reminding...

Here is a link for the video.

Wanna show some love?

A friend of a friend named Dianna Harrison Biorkman has a 5-year-old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with neuroblastoma cancer. They are celebrating Christmas next weekend and Noah loves Christmas cards. Would you be willing to please take a minute to send a card to him? Here is his address:

Noah Biorkman

1141 Fountain View Circle

South Lyon, MI 48178.

Lets get a ton to him! Thank you so much!

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Questions

I have come to realize something about myself - I love great questions!

Somehow in my mind while I was growing up, there was a very negative connotation when you asked a question. For some reason asking a question and questioning authority were synonymous.

But I have recently realized that asking, thinking about and answering great questions is very freeing. It really helps me get outside of my box. It makes me thing about what I believe instead of believing something "just because". I have come to realize that I really enjoy being challenged to think and therefore grow and learn. I have also realized to not think about things just makes me a mindless robot stuck in legalism and religion. That sounds nothing like abundant living to me.

I also think God loves questions, in fact, one of the first conversations we see with Him in the garden is asking one; "Where are you guys?" I think that God welcomes our questions as we see in the example with Abraham and Sodom. I think He is not challenged by questions based on this example.

At The Roots Community, we are asked great questions all the time and given the opportunity to share. I love this! My buddy Jess is forever asking great questions that make me think. I love how he challenges me to search out scripture.

So here are a couple of my favorite questions right now:

-If Jesus is the head of the church, what does that functionally look like?

- If the payment for sin is eternal damnation, then why isn't Jesus still in hell?

What about you? Do questions challenge you or scare you?

One Proud Momma

Yesterday my dad came up from Miami to visit and celebrate my firstborn’s 9^th birthday (Wow!!!! I can hardly believe that she’s 9 already!) While he was here he asked her about school and what she was studying. This week was on hold and she proudly announced it (enter homeschool shame). However, I encouraged her to show granddaddy her bible verse box that contains all her verses that we are working on. We try to learn one a week.

Now, it played out in my mind like this: her snuggling up next to him and them reading the verses together. (read- she could read the verses and cause no embarrassment to her teacher! HA) But what happened was, she handed him the box to look through on his own and she went back to playing on the floor. Then my dad decided to quiz her on the verses in the box. I held my breath hoping that she has really learned the verses we have been working on. Verse after verse he gave her the first couple of words and she knew them again and again and again.

Yes the teacher in me was beaming! And the momma in me was ecstatic, but as I took the moment in, it was an eternal joy that took over me. You see, my number two homeschooling goal is for Lucy to learn to love God’s Word. My Jesus says that in the beginning was the Word and then He became flesh among us. My Sustainer says that His Word is delightful. My Provider says that a young one can keep her way pure by hiding His Word in her heart. The Giver Of Life says that His Word is a lamp to her feet. The Lover of her soul says that His Word achieves His purposes.

To me there is no greater legacy I can attempt to offer than to help plant the seeds of His Word into her soul so that later the Holy Spirit can use it to help her, to heal her, to guide her, to sustain her, to give her freedom, and to enable her to live the abundant life she was created to live.

So if I never have another lapbook, science experiment, math test or handwriting sheet to show for her school work (God forbid!) but she has the Word in her heart and on her mind, then I can rest in that. For truly, He is The Teacher and He is enough.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35

Happy birthday Lucy. You are among God’s most precious gifts to me with highest responsibility and greatest rewards. I am so excited to see all that God has for you. You are an amazing young lady, treasured and chosen. I love you!

Transparancy

I am in week four of a nine week in-depth Beth Moore bible study of the book of Esther. One of the overriding themes of the book is the subject of destiny and Beth has offered many great nuggets of truth on the matter. I think the one that has struck me most profoundly thus far is this:

"One of the most important parts of fulfilling our destiny will be our transparency."

I believe that our transparency is so closely tied to our authenticity. Being authentic to me means being honest about who I am and where I am, and being transparent means that I allow you to see that honesty. Because as I become transparent, that is when someone will be able to identify with me.

The enemy has been messing with me about some fears and I believe the Lord has just said, "Okay, we're gonna deal with this one now."

My fear is this: Someone might judge me (or my family) because of mistakes I've made.

So, instead of living in fear that my past might somehow "get out," I think it's time to be transparent and stop letting the enemy bully me into a false isolation.

So here is my past that I have been so afraid of; My kids are not perfect. I am not perfect. My hubby is not perfect. My marriage is not perfect, nor is my home or my schooling. My kids make mistakes. Big ones! I make mistakes. Big ones! My man makes mistakes. Big ones! I have offended people and hurt their feelings. I am selfish and unloving. I am proud and impatient. I yell at my husband and kids. I screw up all the time, daily, and mostly every bit of it is unintentional. But here is the key that I feel like the Lord has given me to get out of this bondage: I am His sheep and I know His voice and He leads me to repentance.

So there it is. My kids make mistakes. My hubby makes mistakes. I make mistakes. But in the eyes of the lover of my soul, I have found grace and forgiveness and release. Because that is what repentance brings.

Beth suggests these thoughts in my study:

Acts 3:19-20 says this: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before. You see, repentance is not the punishment! It is my glorious right as a daughter of the King. It is my invitation to restoration.

To be repentant means to be regretful and remorseful and contrite. And not in a "sorry I got caught" kind of way, but a godly rue that brings change. In other words, my initial actions showed that I wasn't looking at things how God does, but now I have come to God's stance on the issue and am agreeing with Him that my actions were wrong! Repentant I am and have been over some very specific wrongs I have tried to make right.

Here are some more thoughts Beth offered that spoke to me:

As painful as the process may be, that which shatters our superficiality also shatters the fetters of our fragility and frees us to walk with dignity and might to our destinies.

Is has been brutally painful to have forgiveness withheld especially after numerous attempts for restoration. And I have been unnecessarily fragile in this cage of fear, being so afraid of what someone might think of me. But if this is the process that needed to happen to break and shake off a superficial exterior then so be it! The truth is, I struggle with so many issues and so many insecurities; I am such a mess. But the greater truth is the fact that I am made whole solely by the refreshing presence of the Lord who patiently, faithfully leads me. I am nothing without Him and He is everything. I want to walk in dignity and strength into my calling and my destiny and I think the only way I can do that with honor and power is to do it humbly with a heart that stands in agreement with Him.

Jesus, against you and you alone I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me into the way everlasting. You must increase and I must decrease. Please continue to break and shake off my superficial baggage of fear and shame that attempt to hide You. It is your kindness Lord, that leads me to repentance. You are kind and I am repentant. May I be so transparent that others see right through me to You. You are truly the only thing worth gazing at.

Monkey see, monkey do

Here is a link to the video.

My Sweet Friend

Several years ago, while Mike was on staff at Inwood Baptist Church, the Lord brought me a treasure of a friend named Jackie. When I first met her I for some reason got it stuck in my head that her name was Debbie and proceeded to introduce her SEVERAL times as Debbie. She graciously, lovingly returned the favor by publicly calling me Roxy. (I look like a Roxy right?)

Our paths crossed when she and her hubby came to Inwood too. She didn't have much choice about befriending me as we were two of the three people there under the age of 170. But regardless of the fact that she didn't have a choice, and that I could not get her name right for weeks, an amazing friendship formed and I have been all the better ever since.

Jackie homeschools her 3 sweet, beautiful children currently in NC where her Man pastors a church. You can not find a more honorable family than the Mullis'. Jackie is one of those women who make the difficult job of being a mom inspiring and look easy! This is because she is doing what she was designed to do! She is an amazing woman, mom, wife and friend, and I am so blessed to know her. She loves her kids and is giving them a wonderful godly legacy. She loves the Lord and is a faithful student of the Word. You can check out her corner of the world "where they are always up to something" here.

Her husband Greg, is one of my favorite preachers.

He is able to really get in the word and make it apply to YOUR business!! But he does it with such compassion and love you can't help but come back asking for more. He is so sensitive to the Spirit's leading and walks in unbelievable humility and grace.

Almost from the very first time I met Jackie she has wanted to adopt a baby. This lovely family has gone through process after process after process to try to help a child in need. They have tried fostering, and at 2 different times thought there was a baby close at hand for them, went through many, many steps and paperwork here in FL for an out of country adoption at least 2 maybe 3 times. Then when they moved to NC, they had to start all over again from square one. Now they are on a path to bring home a child (or maybe twins or siblings) from Ethiopia. She has made up the cutest shirts as a fundraiser to help them along in the process.

Don't you want one?

If you would be willing to help my dear friend and this sweet family, you can check out her adoption blog here and purchase this cute patoot shirt for only $15 in blue, navy or burgundy. Your money will not only being going to help fulfill a friends dream, but to change the life of a child forever. Helen Keller once said "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Is buying a t shirt something you can do? If you can, it will be a blessing and I know you will be blessed.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Thank you for allowing me to share my sweet friend with you.

Financial Peace

Mike and I have the privilege of attending Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We are in week 2. I am so thankful and excited for this opportunity. The video that we watched this week was so great. There were MANY nuggets of wisdom given. I think one of the things that spoke most to me was about kids. He shared a story about his children not being to happy because of the high expectation he had on them. He explained that "your parents have worked hard and done well, and one day when we die, you will be blessed with a lot of money and if you don't have the character or know how to handle it, it will be a curse to you."

I hold high expectations for my kids and this was so empowering to me to continue to champion them, serve them, equip them and empower them to live up to their potential.

Something that I have been thinking about a lot lately is that in the garden, before the fall, Adam and Eve were given a job to do. And after the fall the "work" was not what was cursed. Of all the things my mom gave me growing up, one of them is an amazing work ethic. It was expected of me to work and work hard! And rightly so. I have gotten side tracked by society's mantra that I have some weird sense of entitlement just because I'm alive and that "I deserve it" and that is a lie.

One of our responsibilities in this class is to read assigned chapters of Dave's book throughout the next weeks. In chapter four he shares a riddle of sorts that I too want to share.

I am your constant companion,

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am at your command.

Half the tasks that you do might just as well

turn over to me and I will do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed,

you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done;

after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great people and

alas of all failures as well.

Those who are great I have made great,

those who are failures I have made failures.

I am not a machine, but I work with all the precision

of a machine, plus the intelligence of a person.

Now you may run me for profit or

you may run me for ruin.

It makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,

and I will lay the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am called a Habit.

Author unknown

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Leadership

A couple of weeks ago, leadership was the topic of discussion around here.

I had a conversation with my friend Doug and I have not been able to stop think about something he shared with me. He was telling me about a leadership tape that he and his son were listening to for his son's job. The speaker on the tape was Andy Stanley and he said this;

"If you look around and find that you are the most powerful person in the room, what do you do?"

Doug said the teaching then proceeded to tell the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet, and explained that a real leader serves.

The night after this conversation with Doug, Mike and I were watching some sort of Dateline, 20/20, Primetime show about parenting and disciplining. The long and short of the show was this:

Disciplining often becomes a power struggle. Praising your kids in the positive helps decrease the amount of power struggles they engage you in.

At the end of this same week, Mike had the opportunity to lead worship at an event and came home with this (among many) nugget of wisdom:

Jesus isn't looking for leaders who will serve, but servants who will lead.

Wow! Anybody see where I'm going yet?

What I felt God was saying to me this week wasn't hugely profound in itself, but very weighty to me. As I look around my life, I am the most powerful person in my school room which is where I spend most of my day. I know that my calling right now is to serve my children. There is no doubt in my mind of that. But the convicting truth is that my heart has not been in a posture of a servant and a servant considers others' needs before his own.

The parenting show we watched was such a reminder to me to champion my kids. To support and encourage them. To truly serve them. Jesus said: "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." As I serve my children, I am teaching them to serve others.

I wonder if a servant has power struggles?

Jesus finished up this conversation by saying; "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

It's the first ...sorta

It's the 3rd and I forgot to post my verse for the first half of this month. Lucy and I have been working on several good ones each week, but this time I'm snagging one of the verses my teacher is using.

Isaiah 7:9(b) says this:

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

Enough said.

Redeemed

This blog expresses my feelings so well about Halloween .

Today was park day for my kids homeschool group. Everyone brought pumpkins and painted them. The girls loved it!

Then when we got home this evening, we carved a pumpkin and read this devotion together:

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin! Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean. (Proceed to carve the pumpkin.)

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the "dirt" off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the "yucky stuff" called "sin" out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! Sin will not have such internal power. He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That's why it is important to go the church and learn about God's Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God's love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. "Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, "Thy presence, my light!"

{cut off top of pumpkin} Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

{remove innards} Remove the things in my life that don’t please you. Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.

{cut open eyes} Open my eyes to see the beauty you’ve made in the world around me.

{cut out nose} I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned my nose at the good food you provide.

{cut out mouth} Let everything I say please You.

{light the candle} Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do. Amen

By: Liz Curtis Higgs

I'm so glad My God is bigger and in the redeeming business aren't you?

White Man (God is Love)

Check this video out. Thoughts?

More Random Funny Thoughts

Here is some more good medicine for you. (Snagged again from here.)

Best of The Ramblings

December 5th, 2008 by Bryan Allain | Filed under ramblings, writing.

A few years ago I used to write these “ramblings” blog posts a lot. It was a great creative outlet to share the random thoughts that would pop in to my head throughout the day. This week I went back and pulled out some of my favorite ramblings from the past 6 years. I hope you enjoy.

My Favorite Ramblings

+ i have a hunch the original lyrics to James’ Taylor’s “shower the people you love with love” song was actually “shower the people you love with money”. But then he liked the way that “love with love” rolled off the tongue, so he changed it up.

+ Why do grocery store cashiers ask me if i want my gallon of milk in a bag? I couldn’t care less. Stick it in the cart, stick it in the bag, stick it in a huge treasure chest with fake gold coins and a hermit crab. Seriously, with all the decisions that must be made in a day, do I really need to make this one? Same with my receipt. Just stick in in the bag. If i want it in my pocket, I am perfectly capable of locating and retrieving it from the bag, thank you very much. None of us have time for these irrelevant questions. I’m going to start asking the cashiers if they’d like me to hand them my credit card with my left hand or my right hand. Maybe then they’ll get the point.

+ what would happen if all of the world’s pushpins just fell out of their walls all at once?probably total anarchy.

+ Why is it that whenever someone does something blasphemous or wrong, people joke around about God striking them with lightning? When was that precedent ever set? I’m no biblical scholar, but I don’t believe God ever used lighting to kill someone in the Bible. Besides, lighting strikes only kill about 80 people a year in the U.S. whereas horse-related injuries kill over 200 people a year. So maybe next time someone does something wrong, instead of saying “watch out for the lightning bolt!” say something like “Ride ‘em cowboy!”

+ It still amazes me that aluminum foil doesn’t get hot in the oven. Every time I pull something out of the oven with foil, I always touch it just to see if it still doesn’t hold heat. I’m just waiting for the one time that it burns my finger so I can scream, “I knew it! I knew this didn’t make any sense! It was setting me up for this the whole time!”

+ I think it would be fun sometime to just walk around a restaurant and go up to other tables and ask “How’s everything today?” like those restaurant managers do from time to time. And then if people actually had a complaint I would say “Oh, I don’t actually work here, I was just wondering how you were doing.” Am I the only one who gets that urge?

+ Speaking of restaurants, I hate it when servers, use the phrase “let me get that out of your way”. Look, maybe my plate’s not in my way, ok. in fact, if it was in my way, i would have moved it out of my way. you know why? because i have hands, and that’s what hands do, they move stuff out of my way. So next time stick with “are you done with this?” or “are we all finished here?”, but please don’t insult me or my hands with your cute little phrases.

+ If you stick a pen in your pocket during the day at work, the chances that you’ll forget to take it out and end up throwing it in the “pens and other random crap” drawer at home are about 94%.

+ it’s a good thing birds are stupid. i mean, they’re faster than us, they have pointy beaks that could rip us to shreds, and they can move in 3 dimensions when gravity has confined us to 2. If they ever got together and had some sort of brainstorming session with the top bird minds, they would probably get past this whole “what can we poop on next” thing and move to “let’s destroy the humans”. like i said, i’m glad they’re stupid.

+ the guy who created the paperclip was a genius. he basically took a useless piece of wire, bent it 3 times, and changed the world.

+ Is there an amish buggy equivalent of running out of gas? Do the horses ever just stop trotting because they’ve got nothing left? “Amos, did you forget to feed the horses this morning?”. oops. I suppose if this was a recurring problem, then they would also carry along some extra hay, which would be the amish equivalent of a gas can. What if one of their horses dies? Do they carry a shetland pony in the trunk like a spare tire?

+ Boy, the alarm clock really put the rooster out of business, didn’t it? I mean, before alarm clocks we were completely at the mercy of the rooster. It was either that or let your body sleep until it was ready to get up. You ever try sleeping through a rooster wake up call? Well, me either, but I bet they’re really tough to sleep through. And the worst part of it all is that no one has the heart to tell the rooster that we don’t need him anymore. He just keeps on with the cock-a-doodle-doos like we’re all amish or something. At this point in civilization we eat the chickens, get eggs from the hens, and the rooster is pretty much useless. All it’s good for these days is posing for country decorating knick-knacks.

+ Speaking of the rooster, what’s the deal with weathervanes? Do we really need to stick a wrought-iron rooster on top of a roof to tell which direction the wind is blowing? What genius was sitting around one day and said, ‘you know, it would sure be a lot easier to tell which direction the wind was coming from if we had a tin chicken on top of the barn!’ And besides, why is it so important that we know which direction the wind is blowing anyway? Unless your steering a sailboat or a professional paper airplane flyer, I don’t see why it even matters. The whole thing is utter nonsense.

+ You have officially grown up when the word ‘puddle’ goes from carrying a good connotation to a bad connotation.

+ Gotta hate being at work the week after a nice vacation to the beach. The worst is when you open your wallet and sand falls out of it. Not only are you ripped that there’s sand in your wallet, but the reminder of where you were exactly a week ago feels about as good as a vaccination.

+ If i was a terribly mean person i would go up to a beggar with a $5 bill in each hand and offer him either one of them. Then when he went to grab for one of them i would say, “uh uh uh…beggars can’t be choosers” and i would give him the other $5 bill. In the end, he still gets $5. But since I’m not terribly mean, i would never do that. In fact, this wasn’t even my idea.

+ What is the origin of the expression “he’s going to eat us out of house and home”? Can someone please explain to me what this means? I understand that if someone quite literally did not stop eating, that eventually the cost of the food alone would cause you to miss mortgage payments and lose your house to the bank. So now you have no house, I’m with you to this point. But the home too? Can someone actually eat so much that it will break up the very bonds of the family unit? Might the very fibers of love that hold our families together be torn asunder by an insatiable hunger? I’m gonna say no. And I’m gonna ask you to never use this cliche again, just for me.

+ Sometimes I think I might grow my hair out really long and ratty for a few years just so I can cut it and say to myself “Wow, why didn’t I do this years ago?” I’ve always wanted to say that.

+ You know those signs that say “Pass with care”? The funny thing is, the people who are doing the passing are never doing it with care. They are either late, annoyed, or just jerks. Either way, the last thing on their mind is the word ‘care’. Then again, maybe that’s why they put the sign there. Just so they can say I told you so when the guy ends up going off the road to miss a head-on collision with oncoming traffic. The police officer inspecting the carnage can only shake his head and say “Didn’t you see the sign, man?” Just once I want to be on long straight road and come across a sign that says “Pass with reckless abandon and no regard for the sanctity of human life”. Now that would be fun.

+ Of the many activities that would suffer a rapid decline in participation in a world without gravity, I think the act of spitting might be one that takes the biggest hit.

+ Has the “you just passed so-and-so’s deli and restaurant” sign ever worked on anyone? Has anyone ever driven by a restaurant, seen it, made the semi-conscious decision that they were not going to stop and go in, then suddenly a half-mile later seen one of these signs and thought, “What was I thinking?”. Here’s a hint. If I didn’t bother to go in when I was actually there, do you think I’m going to go through the trouble of going back there to go in? Whenever I go past one of these signs I like to agree with it. It’s kinda fun. “‘You just passed Regina’s House of Ammo!’ Yes, that’s right I did. But thanks for reminding me once again that there’s a place I’ll never step foot in under any circumstances.”

+ Can someone please tell me who is responsible for naming the continental breakfast the continental breakfast? What is so continental about it, anyway? You get some stale donuts, some cereal rations, crusty bagels, and room temperature milk. Am I supposed to get excited by this? Is this what they’re serving on other continents? Is that why it’s continental? Because if it is, that explains why I haven’t been to Europe yet. I’m not flying 5000 miles to be served warm orange juice when I wake up.

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Grace

My buddy Jess blogged this on Facebook the other day and I wanted to share it with you. He is one of my favorite people to talk with about the scriptures and spiritual things. I think you'll see why when you read this.

In the spring of 1993 an amazing thing happened to me that changed the entire course of my life. I had a supernatural encounter and a taste of the grace that is part of the character of God. From that day till now I have been in pursuit of an understanding of the grace that pursued me.

Some of the things that I have discovered:
First grace is a person. He is the essence of God and the heart of all that is good. His name is Jesus Christ. Not the Jesus that is portrayed on stained-glass or in Hollywood, but rather the healer of the sick, the one who raised the dead, the one who has compassion on the prostitute as well as the preachers. Looking into the eyes of this man is to see into the soul of God Himself. Jesus came to show us that God was not the God we were making Him out to be. He was not a cosmic cop in the sky that was without feelings. He (God) could be human and experience all the good and the bad that life had to offer. This is the person of Grace.

Second Jesus came to accomplish many things, reconciliation, true servant leadership, restoration, and freedom. The scriptures never say that Jesus came to save us from hell. They do however tell us that He came to save us from our sin. This is good news. Actually this is great news. It wasn’t hell that was separating us from experiencing the heart of God, it was our own sin. Jesus brought to the table a new law, the law of the spirit of life, and it makes us free from the law of “sin” and death.

Grace assures us that no matter what we have done or how often we have done it we are set free from it. So we find that God is not mad or even saddened by our humanistic behavior but rather it is part of His plan for redemption of all men. We do reap what we have sown in this life. There is a wage that must be paid for our sin and the wage is death. Death encompasses much more than just the act of life lost. It is loss of dominion. We are repeatedly told to choose life in scriptures and we as men have been given great responsibilities to fill the earth (an act of life) and subdue it (an act of dominion). This “life” is accomplished though grace.

Thirdly I would say that grace is far more powerful an agent then we have made it out to be. I would go as far as to say if you don’t realize that you can do something awful in the eyes of man and still be forgiven by God then you don’t really understand grace. No I am not saying do them (the sins) Romans 6:1 asks do we continue in sin so that grace may abound? Certainly not! Grace is not a license to sin it is freedom from sins. God created this life for us to enjoy and we all have part to play in life itself. Grace is the factor that keeps all things in harmony. I once read about an early church father who would bend over and look at the earth up side down. Once when he did this one of his followers asked why, his reply was that, “grace keeps it all hanging”.

Grace is the good news that changes the hearts of men. Grace is more powerful than our traditions and denominational views. Grace is the goodness of God in operation in this life. Grace has the ability to overcome any sin and any sinner. As a matter of fact the greater the sin the greater the grace available.

Grace is one of the greatest expressions of love. God is love. Grace is an expression of the heart of God towards you. Fall into the arms of grace and embrace all of it. Grace is coming for you! A great flood of His grace is upon and is covering the whole earth.

My Man

Sept 21 is a very special day to me and I'll tell you why. 18 years ago today (golly that's a long time!) Mike kissed me for the first time and we began dating. The rest, as they say, is history. We celebrated out 13 year wedding anniversary last month but I didn't make the time to tell you about my man. And I really want you to know a little bit about the guy I have the privileged of spending the rest of my life with.

If you have never had the honor or meeting Mike, the first thing you notice about him (besides his devilishly hansom good looks) is that he looks you straight in the eye. His eyes tell you that he is listening. This is because he is honestly interested in you. He has an authentic and attractive love for people that God has given him. He genuinely wants to get to know you and hear your story. He is someone who has really practiced the difficult art of listening. (And real listening is difficult!)

The second thing you notice about Mike is his sense of humor. He loves to laugh has the most remarkable ability to make you crack up and feel relaxed. This is one of my most favorite qualities in him. It's not the "you should sell tickets and take this on the road" kind of comedy. It's more like "we've known each other forever and we're cool like that" kind of wittiness. He's great at finding the silly things that remind me to not take life so seriously. I love that!

I can't get to far down the list without telling you that he is a superior musician. And musician hardly feels like the right word. Mike has not only taught himself the piano, guitar, and saxophone, (and is teaching himself the harmonica), but he reads written music, charts and he can play along without any music on paper at all. He knows all the theory and mechanics about music that enable him to transpose and teach, and basically make it work with whoever is involved. But really, all those things can be taught. Mike has more than can be taught. He is what I call a psalmist. I compare him to David. Do you remember the

story where Saul is stressed out and David comes and plays for him and Saul is finally able to find rest? That is how I would describe Mike's music. When he picks up an instrument, it becomes a tool in his hands that brings worship from his soul like deep calling to deep.

I haven't even mentioned his voice yet. I'm not a good enough writer to do him justice, so here are two of my favorite songs he has written. (Yes, he writes music too)

Pretty fabulous huh?

I could really go on and on but I'll sum the rest by telling you that while he is in no way perfect, he is perfect for me. Such a gift Jesus has given me in this amazing man! He is a marvelous husband, a phenomenal father, my best friend, my soul mate, my muse, my confidante, my partner, my lover, my cheerleader and number one fan, my playmate, my helper, my favorite person, and most importantly, the hands and feet of Jesus to me.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am so blessed and honored to be his bride.

I love you baby!

One Year Anniversary!

Last Saturday marks one year ago I started blogging. Wow! Has it been that long already? Doesn't seem like it, guess that's why I missed the actual date! hahaha I just wanted to say thanks to those of you who keep coming back to see what's going on in my little corner of the world. I wish I had something cool to give away, BUT, I did switch my background (again) and I made some changes to the layout. Can you tell? Whatdoyathink?

Now, you have my permission to go get some of your favorite dessert and celebrate! I'll even let you have my piece.

Tot school

I wanted to show you another fun easy tot activity I made. I saw this on someones blog, but I can't find it to give them credit! (If you're reading this and it's you, I'm so sorry! Please comment to tell me!)

It's another color match, but it also works on fine motor skills.

She has to put the colored pipe cleaners into the matching holes in an oatmeal container.

I poked holes in the container top with an exacto knife.

Then I colored re-enforcement circles with markers and put them around the holes.

Making it was super easy and she loves it. She did this three times in a row.

It's the 15th

I forgot to post my verse for the first of this month...so, you get 2 for today!

At the first of the month Lucy and I memorized 1 John 4:19 - We love because He first loved us.

Now we are working on 1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Mike told me today that he wants in on this memorizing deal with Lucy and I. Anyone else???

In honor of Thursday nights

Tomorrow night, the new season of The Office starts which is a favorite in this house! If you are a fan of the show, you might want to check this out. I think it is pretty funny!

Free Curriculum

Check out this chance to win a free Unit Study book from a fellow homeschool blogger! Leave a comment on her blog post for your chance to win! Good luck to us both!

Modesty

A girlfriend of mine sent me a link to an interesting survey. Here is the description the survey gives itself:

The Modesty Survey is an exciting, anonymous discussion between Christian guys and girls who care about modesty. Hundreds of Christian girls contributed to the 148-question survey and over 1,600 Christian guys submitted 150,000+ answers, including 25,000 text responses, over a 20-day period in January 2007. For more information, click here.

I read all the questions and I thought they were great from either extreme of the spectrum. I think often women just don't consider how we are dressed, and clearly, often we do. The responses are all from professing Christan guys from ages 12-50. You can filter the answers to see all the results, or view a specific age group.

There are several open ended questions and the responses were very thought provoking. (I tried to copy and paste them, but it wasn't working, you just have to go check it out)

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. Romans 14:13

Random Funny Thoughts

I'm so glad God said that laughter is like medicine. So, here, take your medicine today. I stole this from here.

Ramblings: Failed Greeting Cards and Collars

posted on Tue, Sep 1st, 2009 - 11:53 am by Bryan Allain - 7 Comments

you might have seen some of these thoughts on my Twitter feed. I’ve taken a few of my tweets and expanded on them. The rest is just the random nonsense that floats around in my skull…

+ Am I the only one who gets angry when I hear the “What do you get for the person who has everything?” question? You want to know what to get for the person who has everything? Here’s a few ideas:

• A card that says “Congratulations for having everything. You win.”
• A burglary. Help them share the wealth.
• An audit. Make sure they paid taxes on all that stuff.
• A copy of my book. Since it doesn’t exist yet, it’s something they don’t have.
  
• A guilt trip.
  

+ Is it wrong of me for being disappointed that there’s never been a Hurricane Bryan? And if there was a Hurricane Bryan, would I want it to peter out in the Atlantic and do no damage…or would I want it to be the storm that ended the world? Tough call. I think I’d want it to be a mega-storm that destroyed all of the bad things in the world but didn’t kill anyone or ruin anything good. That’s pretty reasonable.

+ We always assume that life on other planets is more advanced than ours, but what if we someday find aliens and they’re all idiots? Or they’re stuck a few thousand years behind us in terms of cultural advances. We show them our iPhones and 3D Ultrasounds and they share with us how to make fire and create wheels.

+ Being stranded on a deserted island might be fun for a few days, but I’d much rather be stranded on a desserted island. A place where the trees are made of strawberry shortcake, the sand is brown sugar, and it rains Vitamin Water. Sign me up.

+ I’d like to meet the dude who said “by folding over this extra shirt material up by the neck, I will look more formal than the rest of you”. If I found him, I would punch him right in his ridiculous collar. Seriously. If we got rid of the collars on all of the shirts in the world, we’d have enough extra material to make blankets for the homeless. I think I’ll start a new campaign: “Dress Down for the Downtrodden”. Who’s with me?

+ Failed Hallmark Cards:

• “You and Me for all eternity babe. (Because going through everything it would take for us to split up sounds like a lot of freaking work.)”
  
• “You’re beautiful on the outside, and you would be on the inside too if not for the 30 feet of coiled intestines filled with sludgy human waste.”
• “I want to be by your side forever. Or until you lose control of your bowels. Whatever comes first.”
• “I don’t remember our first kiss, but I remember our last one. And it was pretty decent.”
• “When I think about life without you, I think about all the fun things I’d do that you’d miss out on. It makes me sad.”
• “They say everyone has a soul mate. I know you’re mine because the little voice in my head tells me you are every time I start thinking about what it would be like to put everyone I know on a deserted island and then fill the island with angry bears. That’s when Raul (my little voice) tells me you’re my soul mate and I remember how much I love you.”
• “What else can I say to my best friend, lover, and partner for life? Nothing…nothing at all. Actually, the fact that I still haven’t fixed that creaky closet door despite your constant nagging about it says more than I ever could.”
• “You’re all that I want. Well, you and a lot of money and an unending supply of Doritos. You 3 are all I want.”

+ Why is it that most cartoon characters and stuffed toys are animals? News Flash, folks: Most animals are gross. They’re smelly, dirty, and will probably claw your skin off if given the chance. “Awww, look at the little toy polar bear. So cute and fluffy.” Yeah, and if it was real it would rip your arm off with one swipe and feed your mangled carcass to the rest of it’s pack. Let’s stop glamorizing these beastly creatures and move on with our lives.

+ Speaking of animals, whose idea was it to beat a pretend animal until candy fell out?Creator of the pinata: thank you for sharing your brilliance with the rest of us.

+ All my life I’ve been waiting for the fashion industry to announce that wrinkles are in.When they finally do, I’m going to be one of the trendiest people on the planet. I might even get my own spread in GQ.

+ The Wicked Witch of the West should have been wearing a slicker, galoshes, and water-repellent undergarments. Not only that, but can someone explain to me why she had a bucket of water sitting on a shelf in her castle? That’s like keeping a bowl of anthrax on the coffee table in your living room. Either she was a Class A imbecile or the most arrogant person who ever lived. Either way, the green wench had it coming.

Lies I struggle with....

• I can do it all.

• I shouldn't make mistakes.

• Having a clean house and healthy, home cooked meals makes me a good mom.

• People should know better.

• Life should always be comfortable and easy. (And if it's not, that must mean I'm doing something wrong.)

• Work isn't fun.

• Saying "no" is unacceptable.

• I need more stuff.

• I have to have it all together.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

How about you? Any lies trying to bind you up and deceive you?

The Robin and the Sparrow

My friend Megan posted this on her blog not long ago and I LOVE it!

Said the robin to the sparrow,
“I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”

Said the sparrow to the robin,
“Friend I think that it must be,
That they have no Heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me."

- Unkown Author.

An Original Masterpiece

I saw this on a friends Facebook last week and thought is was great.

Here is a link for the video.

Tot School

I have mentioned before about the swap that I participated in this summer and it got the creative wheels turning. I have been thinking up all kinds of fun things for Stinky Pete to do! This particular idea I grabbed from here, but it was so easy I wanted to show you.

It is a color match using the free paint swatches from Wal-Mart. I cut, laminated and put a Velcro dot on the back. I have another color set, I just have to get some more Velcro dots. She loves it.

Monday

We went to the nursing home this week. After taking a summer break, I was eager to visit again. This time the girls and I made pipe cleaner flowers with Isaiah 40:8 on the front. The residents were so happy to see us and Stinky Pete even got way out of her comfort zone and hugged many of them. Lucy and I sat and chatted with Mrs Jewell and were so blessed with her company. She didn't remember who we were but was delighted to be with us just the same. It makes me so happy to see them smile.

And now it's time for silly songs with Stinky Pete...

Here is a link to the video.

"Help Me"

The second week of school in Lucy's workboxes she had a new science activity in a bag. This particular one had some geometry as well. In her bag were mini marshmallows and tooth picks and her directions were to build a cube and a pyramid, then make observations about both.

The cube she had no trouble putting together. Her little brain saw that almost before I told her what to do. The pyramid however was a different story. And herein lies my story.

The directions were to build a pyramid out of 6 toothpicks and 4 marshmallows. As we discussed what exactly a pyramid was and what it looked like, she got more and more stumped. She figured out how to make a triangle and that was as far as she got. There was no connection how to use 3 more toothpicks and only 1 marshmallow. (To her credit, I think doing the cube first is what threw her off a bit) However, frustration set in as well as a bad attitude.

She completely gave up and was uninterested in even trying. I tried to encourage her to just experiment, but it was of no use. She had already quit. By this time, I too, am frustrated because she has just given up without even asking for help. She is full on having a melt down about her inabilities and lack of intelligence.

Enter teaching moment.

She felt like a failure for not being able to get it immediately. She also had a quitters mentality that we addressed as well, but I wanted to share with you what I felt God teaching me about the situation.

She never even asked for my help. She just couldn't see how to make it work and gave up. All the while I am sitting right beside her, encouraging her, offering suggestions and possibilities, and they are falling on deaf ears. Only to result in a complete meltdown of self doubt and feelings of inadequacies.

If Lucy had only said "Can you help me?" I would have gladly given a resolving tip to her conundrum. But she didn't. She needlessly used so much more energy and emotion and had to learn this lesson "the hard way" evidently.

I was waiting to help her but she was insistent on a different train of thought. Even if I had given her the answer without being asked, it would not have changed her present mindset or given her the satisfaction of figuring it out.

How many times do I do this?? How many times, for whatever reason, am I completely stumped about a situation and see no possible way out, and quit to have myself a pity party and throw a fit about what a horrible person I must be? Meanwhile, my heavenly Father is right beside me building me up and hopeful for an invitation to act.

I am a big believer that God is a gentleman, and while He can do anything, I think He often waits for an invitation, because this creates relationship. But so many times I have such a mindset that is so counter productive that even the right answer is of no help to change it. I'm just in the mood to have a fit.

It was such an eye opener to me about how near to the heart of God the idea of relationship is. I think He wants us to ask Him for help. Not so that He can show us how much we don't know and make us feel stupid, but so that we can experience the joy of His presence and then the satisfaction of resolution to the problem.

I wanted to help Lucy! I am all for her. I wanted her to know the delight of working it out together and making a fun memory. I wanted her to have the thrill of solving the problem correctly. I am always on her side!

How much more does God feel this way about us?

So why is it so hard to ask for help? Or is it rather that I have just made it a habit to quit first? Either way, the lie of being all alone settles in quickly along with more lies about who I am and I miss out on so much.

I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O LORD!
I will keep Your statutes.
I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.
You are near, O LORD,
And all Your commandments are truth.
Concerning Your testimonies,
I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

Psalm 119:145-152

Jesus, please teach me like the psalmist to cry out to You for help. I want to be persuaded by Your truth and stop enduring so much needless stress and anguish. Thank you that You are a present help. What a double blessing to have Your presence and Your help. Help me Jesus.

PS -The picture was taken post meltdown - off to the right are the 3 lonely triangle marshmallows! haha

A lesson

Poverty is also a mentality.

Jesus I want to be completely persuaded and totally convinced of the truth that you really have given me everything I need for life and abundant life.

Sister's got some style!

You will be so delighted to see Stinky Pete's new most favorite outfit. You can't see them, but she is wearing Christmas socks in the boots. Please also note the pearls that absolutely complete the outfit.

Fabulous Dahling!

Fierro Chicken Recipe

I'm not a real good cook, but every once in a while I find a recipe that seems to be a hit with my family. This is one of those. My friend BJ passed this one to me and I thought I'd share.

INGREDIENTS

• nonstick cooking spray
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3/4 cup enchilada sauce
• 6 button mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, green chilies, chili powder, enchilada sauce, button mushrooms, and heavy cream in a large bowl. Arrange chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish; pour sauce over.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the juices run clear, about 40 minutes.

It is really good over some rice (I bet pasta too). I add extra mushrooms and about that much Tabasco sauce. It's super easy, which is my favorite kind of recipe.

Assaulted by Joy

I just read a book titled Assaulted by Joy; the redemption of a cynic by Stephen Simpson. I thought it was so great! He tells his life story from being a kid that met Jesus up to present day, a dad with quadruplets, yes, quadruplets. It's such a great story and an easy read.

There were several nuggets that I thought were captivating. I wanted to share a few with you.

-Being a Christian is supposed to be dangerous. It means being vulnerable, taking risks, and having communities of imperfect people. It means leaving our comfort zone and exchanging it for something much better; joy.

-What we don't realize is that we teach one another wisdom even when we hurt each other. We learn how to love in the midst of brokenness and imperfection. Those who hurt us sometimes teach us far more than those who love us.

-He (Jesus) showed me, one more time, that cynicism doesn't really keep me safe-it just keeps me from joy.

-Existentialists say that a man does not know who he is until he looks into the abyss. When he reaches the point where he loses hope, he has only two choices; despair or responsibility.

-Being week is part of the deal when we follow Christ. Cynicism doesn't allow much room for that. It covers up the broken heart that we're afraid to let anyone heal.

-Joy comes from being attached to something other than yourself. Someone actually. ... But I think that it mostly comes through relationships. It comes from bonds that last through the good times and the bad. It's the feeling that no matter what happens, we will be connected to another. I think that's what joy is.

That last one reminds me of God saying "It's not good for man to be alone".

Here is Stephen's website (where you can see pictures of his precious quads). I thought his story was so relate-able, especially to anyone who has "grown up in the church".

I also find it easy to be a cynic, isolate myself and lose my joy. While I think our joy should be found in Christ, the reality is that God did make us for relationship. This book was such a great reminder of the joy that comes from being connected. I want to be assaulted by joy, don't you? That sounds fun!

I Missed the 15th Again!

The months are going by faster and faster!

Lucy and I are going to start working on a verse a week together for school. I'm gonna use her verse for mine too this time.

Matthew 10:30 says: And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

What an amazing God He is! Such details He keeps up with.

Thank you Jesus for you love. I am overwhelmed with it. Selah

And We're Off...

....with a bang too! Check out our cool science experiment we did today on our first day back to school.

We made the can implode using only water. The girls thought it was so cool.

We participated in several swaps this summer and one of the swaps was a Sscience in a Bag swap. Swaps are so great because you get all you need for the given activity in the bag. You just read the directions and go. We got all kinds of fun stuff to do this year! It goes really great in our workboxes too. We're off to a good start.

(Here is a link to see the video)

And the winner is...

...comment #29 Holly K.

Thanks random.org and thanks everyone for participating.

Congratulations Holly.

A New Philanthropist

Several weeks ago at The Roots Community we brushed the topic of philanthropy. Someone gave a great definition of a philanthropist as a person with a lot of resources that supports a mission, ministry or cause.

Webster gives this definition:

one who practices goodwill to fellowmen; especially : active effort to promote human welfare; one who dispenses aid from funds set aside for humanitarian purposes

So, to combine both definitions, a philanthropist is someone with resources who gives to humanity.

The next question at Roots was "Who in the room is a philanthropist?" No one raised their hand because we were all thinking in terms of money (All of us at The Roots fund raise our salaries). But Jesse made the parallel of Jesus being the real philanthropist and how He has given us the opportunity to be the same. Jesus had everything available to Him from the Father and we are given that same access. God blesses and gives to us so that we might bless and give to others (check out Gen 12:1-3). It is also a definition of community and of love. The following scripture was mentioned, which I thought was perfectly fitting:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The final question asked was this: "What has Jesus blessed you with so that you can be a blessing to others?"

Great question!

After thinking about it for a bit I have an answer. I have recently figured out some things about myself. I took a strength finder test and empathy was the top result. A love language test found words of affirmation to describe me. Finally, a spiritual gifts test showed a high score in exhortation. A lot of things make much more sense to me now about why I think the way I do and I happen to think that is a pretty specific combination that Jesus has put together!

I feel like Jesus blesses me with words of encouragement for a positive mindset and I want to give that away! I want to do that by texting and twittering. I am really excited about this and think it will be a cool way to give away what's been given to me. So, if you need some empathy, words of encouragement or exhortation, you can follow me on twitter or you can email your name and phone number to freedomrach@yahoo.com with the subject line "encourage me" and I'll text you. I promise I won't bombard you...in fact it probably wont even be daily. But I will pray for you and as I feel led, share some thoughts and scriptures to hopefully bless and encourage us both.

So how about you? What has Jesus blessed you with that you can give away?

You Are Free...

....to give love today. It's worth the risk.

....to give grace today. You will reap what you sow.

....to forgive today. Bitterness is a lonely prison.

....to dream today. Go ahead, be inspired.

....to have joy today. Choose to look at the bright side.

....to have peace today. Stop obsessing over the things that stress you out.

....to be loved. You are worth dying over.

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]. Galations 5:1 (Amplified Bible)

A Missed Opportunity

Yesterday was a great day with The Church. Our Pastor Jesse started a series titled "The Beautiful Truth". It's sort of an antidote to the movie out now "The Ugly Truth". It is a series about the role of women, men and marriage.

It was a great conversation. Our discussion opened with some of the labels and expectations that the world places on women. Next, Jesse lead us through some of the scriptures of Jesus' interaction with women and the value He gave them. Great scriptures! Then his wife Anitra spoke and reminded us that we, as women, are made in the image of God, suggesting our first and foremost role - we are image bearers. It was so insightful and inspiring.

Then in a new normal format, Jesse opened up our time for some guided dialog. This is my new favorite part gathering. Jesse asks such thought provoking questions (at least they are thought provoking to me) . Usually they are questions that really challenge me and I rarely have a quick answer. Herein lies my missed opportunity.

After a great time of congregational sharing Jesse closed out our time with one final question; "If you had a microphone to the ear of every woman in the world right now, what would you say?"

Such a great question! As some other people shared, I felt Jesus whisper an answer to me. I waited patiently for Jesse to say "Anyone else?" after several people shared, but it didn't happen. Time was out and I missed the moment. I was so aggravated with myself because the moments that followed in communion were so sweet.

So, I will make an opportunity now.

If I had a microphone to the ear of every woman in the world right now I would say:

You are wildly, lavishly, passionately, recklessly, loved by the Creator of your soul. And, YOU are breathtakingly beautiful!

Jesus, how amazing that You made me in the image of You, a helper. Your love oh Lord, reaches to the heavens and I am overwhelmed!! Wash Your creation in Your love, Jesus.

A Worship Leader

Every time Mike gets his guitar out, Stinky Pete runs and gets her guitar to play with Daddy. Tonight Mike was practicing for Sunday and I caught a few moments with his phone. (Be sure to turn your speakers up, it's kinda quiet.)

Sorry it's so dark. Here is a link if the video is not there.

Jesus, may my children's hearts always worship You.

Curriculum Cleanout

I am participating in the Curriculum Clean-out!

Why?

• I am blessed, and I know that I am blessed in order to be a blessing.
• These are great books that need some use!
• Who doesn't want free stuff!?
• It's fun!

I am giving away Amanda Bennett's Thanksgiving and Christmas Unit Studies as well as Five In A Row Holiday through the season books. All three books are in new condition.

If you would like to enter to win, you can earn a total of two entries:

1. Leave a comment on this post. ( Facebook comments don't count, here is a link to the blog post)
   
2. Twitter or blog about this contest and then come back to let me know by leaving an additional comment.

The giveaway is open until Saturday, August 15th at 5pm and is only open to residents in the continental US. A winner will be chosen at random and I will announce the winner on Saturday, August 16th. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you via your comment {i.e. blog address or email}. The winner will have 3 days to respond after I contact them. If I haven't heard back within 3 days, I will draw another winner.

I think I might have one more give away later this week (if I can find it!) so be sure to check back. Here is a list of the other clean-out participants and all their give aways. There is something for everyone!

Good luck!

I Still Do

Thirteen years ago today we said "I do".

I am so blessed and honored to be his Bride.

He is my man!

I'm ready for thirteen more.

I love you Mike.

It's the first again...

...and I am back on Facebook! Yea!! I have missed seeing what's going on in my friends lives!

It is also time for my next verse. I am once again going to learn the same verse my teacher is:

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me, Psalm 57:2 NIV

I'm so glad He doesn't give up on me! Aren't you?

Hey, I was thinking, wanna join me in memorizing some scripture? We have half the year left - it's a great time to get started!

What verse would you like to memorize?

Did I mention.....

....that we are now listening to Christmas music at night?

Yep, we're big nerds like that! haha

Can you really ever get enough of Bing Crosby though? Na, I don't think so.

Here's a link for some white Christmas dreaming.

What will you choose?

You have a choice today.

• You can choose to be stressed, or to rest in His peace
• You can choose to be sad or to be happy.
• You can choose to worry or to have faith.
• You can choose to look at how big your mountains are or to look at how big your God is.
• You can choose to be positive or to be negative.
• You can choose to love or to be selfish.

The choice is yours.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Tools

My Blogger friend over at 1+1+1=1 shared some computer secrets that are my new favorite! I'm sure that those of you who are internet/computer savvy already know about this stuff, but for the rest of us that aren't computer nerds, here's a tip for us!

Evernote is one of my new favorite websites. I love, love, love checking out fellow homeschooling blogs. I get tons of ideas and links. The problem is a forget half of what I find before I remember to use it. The same is true for crafting. Here is one advantage of evernote; I can clip the picture/web page/whatever I want to remember and tag it a bunch of different ways so that when I want to find something on a particular topic, there it is! It is the perfect perpetual sticky note.

Another advantage to evernote is this; I use Mike's computer a lot because it's faster and portable. However I use my computer too b/c I have an external hard drive and it's hooked up to the printer. Evernote has stopped me from emailing downloads and links to myself so I wont forget them. I have also been uploading a lot of homeschooling stuff from my hard drive so I can tag it in multiple categories and find things easier.

It has a ton of video tutorials, is very user friendly and you can use it on your iPhone or blackberry! Here is a good description from another user. I really like this!

I have also come to love my google calendar. One of my most favorite things about it is being able to create different calendars within one calendar. For example, I have a calendar titled Mike, one titled Rach, one for Homeschool, and another for Lucy. This is so convenient and I can color code it so it's easy to recognize what's what. I can select which calendar I want to see at any time or view than all at once. It's online so I can access it anywhere. I can set it to text or email me reminders of upcoming events. I can also add events to it from my phone as well as invite people to see a specific calendar (this has been helpful with homeschool stuff). And, as I create an event, I can choose to send email invites.

My other new favorite thing is igoogle. This is another thing that a blogger friend shared and it has changed my amount of time on the computer for sure! This is a new homepage for me that has all the sites I frequent right on one page. My email, Facebook, Blogs, bookmarks, and my google calendar (which I live by!) as well as a few more fun things like the weather, Pandora radio and birthdays. You can add more gadgets than stars in the sky (including twitter, YouTube and CNN).

What makes this so great to me is that it opens up other pages, like blogs and emails, in bubbles on the igoogle page. So you don't really leave your homepage. This really has saved me so much time and I love it! You also get to choose your background and that makes me happy! haha

I love technology!

Love This!!

A fellow blogger posted this and I had to pass it along.

Mike and I left our ceremony to the Young Messiah's Hallelujah Chorus, which I thought was pretty cool, but this is just awesome!!!

Here is a link if the video is not there.

You Are It!

This week is a marker of sorts for me. I have mentioned before that 2008 was the most difficult year of my life and the middle of July was it's peak. Thankfully some things are very blurry, but some things are extremely, fiery vivid. Here were some of my circumstances:

• At 15 weeks along, I lost another pregnancy.
• I knew for over a week that the life within me was gone.
• This loss was just days before the due date of my previous loss just 4 short months prior.
• I was also still grieving the loss of 2 adult friendships and felt alone.
• I was very angry with myself for my response to the sonogram technician and not getting a picture of my child.
• I was angry at God and angry at the devil.

But one of the most vivid memories that I have is this; I had been hiding, almost under the covers for some time and along came Saturday night. At that time, The Roots Community was meeting on Saturday evenings, and at Mike's gentle persuasion I went to the staff meeting before church and the following service. I skipped several weeks prior and decided to go SOLELY with the intention of putting my happy face on and to find something else to think about. I don't think most of The Roots Community even knew I was pregnant.

At the start of the meeting Jesse, in his excellent coaching fashion, posed a thought to us. And in a spirit of unity, authenticity and accountability asked us all to go around the table and share what we felt like God had been speaking to us this week. So much for 'playing church' this day! Not only did my happy face leave but my tears became uncontrollable. I knew that I had a free ticket to not share and I didn't want to for a host of reasons. As I listened to others go around the table sharing their struggles and victories, my turn came.

I so badly wanted to pull myself together. I hate crying in public settings like this. In all my own strength I mustered out some words about having a purpose and a calling and just willing my way through this part of life, not at all revealing the reason for my tears and pain.

I was so hurt and confused and was battling blaming God. I was in no way ready to ask Him, "What are You trying to tell me?" I had been at this very awful place such a short time ago and did not want to be here again.

However, this really was a question in my heart.

Prior to this time Mike had lovingly suggested to me that maybe "Why" was not the best question to ask. But that the "What" questions might more easily have answers.

And I knew that in this circumstance, he was right.

Fast forward to some time later. I finally got still before the Lord. You know, the kind of stillness that comes at 2 am after wresting in your mind to the point of exhaustion but only to find no solution. With all the courage and vulnerability I could come up with, I asked the Lord,"What are you trying to tell me?"

In the most gentle, tender, all loving, soul captivating, and equally vulnerable way, I felt Him ask me, "Will you still trust me?"

(long pause)

What a question. It was not 'Do you still trust me?' as if there was some sort of contractual obligation. Is was not 'Can you still trust me?' as if somehow I had been unforgivably betrayed. The question was 'Will you still trust me?'. As in, a present, active, conscience choice. A choice even though I can't understand why. A choice when I don't trust my circumstances. A choice when I can't see the bigger picture.

As I searched my soul for an answer, my mind was taken to this passage of scripture in John. Jesus had just taught at the synagogue about feasting on Himself in order to have life. And some of his disciples said; "This is a tough lesson Jesus, in fact, too tough for us." Many of His disciples left and followed Him no more. Then Jesus turns to the 12 and(I believe humbly and lovingly, giving freedom and grace) asks, "Do you want to leave, too?"

Peter replied, "To whom would we go? You are It!"

So, to answer His question 'Will you still trust Me?' my heart settled on the answer 'Who else can I trust?'

Who else can handle the great depth of my need? Who else can I bring my brokenness and pain to for healing and restoration? Who else can make this work for my good and Your glory? Who else can bring order and even blessing from this chaos and mess? You are It!

So in remembering life a year ago, circumstances are different now. Time has passed and healing has come. But the questions are still the same:

• Will I trust Him when circumstances are not ideal?
• Will I trust Him when I can't see past this moment?
• Will I trust Him when my heart has been beaten and broken?
• Will I trust Him when the lessons are tough?
• Will I trust Him when things feel out of control?
• Will I trust Him when I have only questions?

The answer is also still the same; Who else can I trust?

"Lord God who rules over all,
everything you do is great and wonderful.
King of the ages,
your ways are true and fair.
Lord, who will not have respect for you?
Who will not bring glory to your name?
You alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you.
They see that the things you do are right."

Revelation 15:3-4

Jesus, You ARE It!!

A Letter of Complaint

Dear Wal-Mart,

I would love to come into your store just one time and use a buggy that does not have a retarded wheel.

Sincerely,

A Tired Right Arm Customer

Links

For some unknown reason, lately I've had a fear of loosing all my homeschool links. So, to end that fear, I thought I'd post them. Now I'll always have them and maybe there is a thing or two you can use.

Science

-Random experiments http://stepbystepcc.com/science.html

-More experiments http://www.wackyuses.com/madscientist.html

-Live cam of wildlife in Africa http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php

-National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/

Spelling

- Grade lists and worksheets http://www.zaner-bloser.com/spellingconnections/practice-pages.html

- Fun games using words you choose http://www.spellingcity.com/

- More spelling games http://www.adrianbruce.com/reading/room2/4inarow/phonics_game2.htm

Phonics/Grammar

- Worksheets http://www.free-phonics-worksheets.com/html/free_phonics_worksheets.html

- http://www.progressivephonics.com/~suzettew/

- Worksheets http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html

Math

- Games http://coolmath.com/

- Printable worksheets and drills http://mathusee.com/

- http://www.marcycookmath.com/index.htm

- Time lapbook http://lapbooklessons.ning.com/profiles/blogs/math-lapbook-time

Handwriting

- http://www.zaner-bloser.com/zbfontsonline/index.htm

- http://www.kidzone.ws/tracers/none/index.asp

Typing

- http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Music

- http://makingmusicfun.net/

- Lapbook http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/joyfulmusic/649690/

- http://linkwaregraphics.com/music/

Bible

- http://www.ebibleteacher.com/children/index.htm

- Game for learning the books of the bible http://www.ebibleteacher.com/children/index.htm

- Character lapbook http://www.homeschoolshare.com/character_lapbook.php

- File folder games http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/ChristianFileFolderGames.html

- http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/

Art/Crafts

- http://www.thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html

- http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/

- http://www.skiptomylou.org/

- http://www.crayola.com/

-http://www.dltk-kids.com/

Random School Sites

-Homeschool Share (Amazing resources for unit studies and FIAR) http://www.homeschoolshare.com/

-Polk Co Library http://hip.pclc.lib.fl.us/

-Lapbooking http://www.squidoo.com/lapbooking

-Printable Flashcards http://www.havefunteaching.com/flashcards.html

-Homeschool Swap http://www.theswap.com/

-Learning Pages http://www.learningpage.com/

-Ed Helper http://edhelper.com/

-Free Stuff http://www.educational-freeware.com/

-Coloring Pages http://www.edupics.com/

-Free Printables http://www.senteacher.org/Print/

-Home Education Resources http://www.homeeducationresources.com/

-Education http://www.education.com/

-Buying Co-op http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/

-A list of more links http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109114

-Random Fun http://www.meddybemps.com/index.html